Insect destroyer



Nov. 27, 1951 A. T. HOLTE INSECT DESTROYER Filed Feb. 25, 1947 INVENTORATTOR NEYS Patented Nov. 27, 1951 INSECT DESTROYER AlfTorbjorn Holte,New; Westminster, British Columbia, Canada micam. February 25, 1947,Serial No. 730,693

This invention relates to: improvements in ii1- sect destroyers. Y

An object of the present invention is thep'rovision of a device whichwill lure insects, such as flies, into it to be destroyed.

Another object is the provision of an insect destroyer in which theinsect is trapped andcannot escape.

A further object is the provision of an insect destroyer which is simplein construction, and neat and compact in appearance.

Yet another object is the provision of a device of the nature describedin which insects are destroyed electrically, and including a novel andsimple method of controlling the electric current.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsessentially of an insect destroyer comprising a housing, an entranceadjacent the bottom of the housing, a, transparent area at the top ofthe housing, a grid between the transparent area and the entrance, saidgrid including a plurality of alternating positive and negativeconductors arranged side by side, and means for connecting the positiveconductors and the negative conductors to a source of electrical supply,as more fully described in the following specification and illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation,partly in section, of the insect destroyer,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the device,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a reduced side elevation of the complete device.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I is a dome shaped housingopen at both ends and removably positioned in a dish II. This housing isdivided into outer and inner chambers I2 and I3 respectively by a domeshaped wall M which has a relatively small opening i5 at the apexthereof, said opening forming an entrance into the inner chamber. One ormore openings I1 formed at the bottom of the housing form an entranceinto the outer chamber.

A cylindrical cover 22 is removably mounted on top of the housing In andhas a transparent area 23 in the top thereof. A grid 26 is mounted inthe cover between the entrance I5 and the transparent area, said gridunderlying the latter. This grid is formed with a plurality ofalternating positive and negative conductors 21 and 28, arranged side byside and spaced from each other. The grid may be constructed in anydesired manner. In the example illustrated in the drawings,

2 Claims. (01. 43- 112) the conductors 2'! and 28 are connected toconducting rings 29 and 30, respectively, whichare separated by aninsulating ring 3|. If thepositive and negative conductors are in thesame plane, recesses may be formed in the lower edge of the ring 30 sothat the conductors 21 pass therethrough without touching said. ring. i

Electrical current is supplied to the conductor in any suitable manner.It is preferred, however, to provide a connection so that the cover 22may be removed from the housing, and so that said cover may be turned tomake and break the circuit including the conductors. To this end, rings29 and 30 are connected by wires 35 and 36 to female contacts 31 and 38mounted in the cover and projecting downwardly into the housing.Corresponding male contacts 39 and 40 are mounted in the housingadjacent the contacts 31 and 38, said former contacts being connected bywires 41 and 42 to prongs 43 and 44, by means of which the device may beremovably connected to a suitable source of electrical power, not shown.

When the device is plugged in to the electrical power supply, the cover22 may be turned to bring the contacts 3'! and 38 into engagement withthe contacts 39 and 4|], thus supplying current to the conductors 21 and28. If desired, a.

pointer 41 mounted on the cover, see Fig. 4, may engage on and off lugs48 and 49 mounted on the housing to limit the turning movement of thecover and to indicate whether the current to the conductors is on oroil.

In use, the device is turned on and suitable bait placed on the dish llbeneath the housing l0. Insects, such as flies, enter the chamber [2through the opening l1. It is very seldom that these flies will crawlback out through said openings. They seem to have the tendency to fly orcrawl up towards a light. Thus, they pass through the opening l5 intothe inner chamber when attempting to reach the light entering throughthe transparent area 23. When a fly hits the grid 26, it is bound totouch at least one pair of conductors 21 and 28, thus closing thecircuit and it is, consequently, electrocuted. The insect usually fallsclear of the grid into the bottom of the inner chamber which is formedby the wall l4 and the wall of the housing In. The device may be cleanedout from time to time by removing the cover.

I claim:

1. An insect destroyer comprising a housing said housing being open atthe top thereof, an entrance adjacent the bottom of the housing, a

the negative conductors to the other cover contact, a contact in thehousin adjacent each contact in the cover, and means for connecting thehousing contacts to a source of electrical=supp1y;

said cover being adapted to be moved to bring its contacts into and outof engagement wi'th the housing contacts.

2. An insect destroyer comprising; a housing;

said housing being open at the top thereof, outer and inner chambersformed in the housing,"an' entrance into the outenchamber adjacent thebottom of thehousing, acover removablyniou-n-t ed on the housing overits top opening; trans parent area in the top-oi the cover, a relativelysmall opening between the outer and inner chamhers; a; grid: in thecover underlying the trans":- parent area between the latter and; the.small opening; said gridiincluding aplurality; ofalteravails nativepositive and negative conductors arranged side by side, two separatecontacts in the cover, 7

means connecting the positive conductors to'one cover contact, meansconnecting the negative conductors to the other cover contact, a contact7 in the housing adjacent each contact in the cover, and mean forconnecting the housing contacts to a source of electrical supply, saidcover being adapted to be moved to bring its contacts'into and out-ofengagement with the housing contacts.

i ALF TORBJORN HOLTE.

REFERENCES CITED Tlie following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 722,143' Raymond"; Mar. 3, 19031985,38}; Overmyer Jan-.'217,- 1914 1,163,823 Irvine Dec; 14,;19151,295,207 Reed Feb. 25, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Dates

